Starve your ego. Feed your soul. Stay fit and healthy.

Incorporate working out into your daily routine in Ramadhan.

I have an on-off relationship with working out like everybody has.

But since a few months, I started to have a regular routine, where I would practice Yoga, muscle training, and some cardio regularly.

And I thought that during Ramadan I will lose all my discipline and I would have to start very low again.

That is not what I wanted to.Ramadan is a month where you concentrate on your spirituality and less on your physicality.

But there is also a link between healthy body and a healthy spirit.

So for me, this meant, that I wanted to keep my physical strength to get an optimum spiritual strength.

I did my research and I and my husband, we both tried to incorporate working out into our daily routines, during Ramadan.

So here are some tips and tricks on how you can also do the same.

1.Training between Ifatri and Sehri.We live in a pretty small town and the gym is not open for 24 hours. So the gym closes at 12 am and we are done with Ishaa and Taraweeh prayers at 11;30-ish.So going to the gym at night is not an option for us, but if that works for you that's great!Going to the Gym after Taraweeh is most probably the best time because you've digested your Iftari(if you had a light meal).

2.Training right BEFORE Iftar.Now this works best for us. We have Iftari at around 9;50 pm. So we start our workout at 9 pm, so we can work out, shower and eat right away.

3.Train right AFTER Iftari.Instead of having a full meal right away, you eat something light like a banana with some Greek yoghurt, pray Maghrib, change clothes(or find something else to use 30 Minutes of digesting) and then workout. Right after the workout you can have your actual meal.

4.Incorporate light exercises.Try to stay active during the day.Fasting is not equal to starving, which leads to lower energy levels.While fasting you still have enough energy to go through the day because you have two proper meals. So try to have a walk during the day or ride to the mosque for Ishaa prayer.Don't make fasting and excuse for laziness.

Monday, 4 April 2016

How to get up earlier in the morning

and how to become a morning person.

I've been trying to boost up my productivity lately, which starts by waking up early for me.
I've actually always been a night-owl so waking up early is kind of not in my nature, but it is one of my goals to become a morning person.
And I tried enough things to tell you what works and what doesn't and how YOU can go from night-owl to early bird.

So here are some ways to help you to get up early.

Well I have to start with an obvious one, which is, that you have to go to bed early.Start with going to bed earlier than you usually do and wake up earlier than you usually do, just to come into a routine slowly. Until you come to that point, where it is perfect for you. My goal is to sleep between 10-11pm and to wake up at 6am.

Secondly, don't sleep during the day for too long!Power-naps are okay. But don't sleep too much in the day time, so you can go to bed early.

Have something to do in the morning.Have a reason to wake up early. Start with breakfast and then have a task, like going to the gym.I like to have a full routine in the morning, which is just about cleaning the house. It keeps me active in the morning hours AND once I get everything clean... I have the whole day for me.

Open the curtains, turn on the light.Let as much light flow into your room as possible! What I also like to do, is to have open blinds and curtains, before I go to bed. The sun shines into my bedroom every morning and I am force to wake up. The latest is 9am, because then the sun shines into my face and the whole room is super hot! At that point I just have to get up and open a window or something.

DO NOT SNOOZE!I found out for myself, that the snooze button is my enemy! If I press the snooze button once I will do it over and over again. My mood will get off. My body will be tired.The best solution is, that you give yourself no option. Set your alarm on the latest you can and then that's it. No snooze. No compromises.

I hope this helped you a little bit. It worked for me, so why not for you?

Sunday, 24 January 2016

Save yourself time.

Don't work harder, work smarter.

There are three things in your life, which you can never get back, once they are gone.
First the words you said. Second, the moments you've missed. Third the time you have spend.

You can choose your words wisely, you can take the opportunity and you can improve your time.
Let's us focus on time today.

Here are some tips to make the most out of your time!

Focus.

Block distractions.Be aware of your time wasters. Try to avoid them as much as possible, while doing your task.Turn off your phone or at least turn of the sound of notifications(calls are okay).Work in a place without internet, so you don't open a tab with Facebook or Pinterest.

Have a routine.By having a routine, you actually find more time for the actual things.

Make a doable to-do list.Don't overburden yourself with writing down all the tasks you need to get done. Just 3 tasks each day. If one task takes more than one day, then give it more time.

Stop procrastinating.

Set a limit for each task.We only have a motivation problem, until we have a time problem.

Always have the time visible.

Become a morning person.

Prioritize.Don't do unnecessary stuff first, just because it is easier.

Combine similar task together.

Split tasks.Divide them either in smaller task or delegate them to someone else, who is in the same "team".Keep in mind, that you don't have to tackle everything by yourself.

Leave buffer between your task.Nothing goes right according to plan. Especially not when when you want it to go according to plan. Plan buffer in between so you have time to breath, to rethink and to get everything going.

Friday, 15 January 2016

Why E-Book readers are better than real books.

9 Reasons why you should invest in an E-Reader too.

I know E-Readers don't feel like real books. I also know that amazing feeling of holding a physical book in my hand and how it smells, but still, we need to give those E-Readers a chance.

And let me tell you why:

It is small and lightAnd because of this reason, it fits into every handbag. E-readers can be also a good way to carry several books at a time, while traveling(so you can bring new treasures, to join your collection).

Eating while reading.Books are really sensitive when it comes to sticky fingers and liquid. Let's say they are quite allergic to that. With the E-Reader, you have the benefit of allowing yourself to eat and drink while enjoying a good read.

One free hand. You can flip pages and hold it easily in one hand. While with a real book, your hand gets cramps and tired. And you have to adjust every 15 minutes.

Free books!!Now this is my favorite reason to own an E-Reader. There are so many fabulous free books in the kindle store. And also in general, eBooks are much cheaper than the physical ones(often times).

Dictionary included.Most of the E-Readers have a dictionary option included, which comes quite handy, every now and then.

Highlight your favorite quotes.Another handy feature in most of the E-Readers is that you can highlight your favorite quotes. And instead of randomly highlighting them and never see them again, the E-Reader collects them and Voilà you got a special document with all your favorite quotes.

Fastest delivery. The arrival of a physical book can take 48 hours up to two weeks.
While getting an eBook to you is just a click away. You get your eBook in just a second right onto your E-Reader.

Adding notes.A handy feature which is included is that you can add notes. And again, just like with the quotes you will have a document ready. Better than flipping trough pages or random sticky notes

Reading in the dark. Now this one only counts for those who buy an E-Reader with the specialty of a light integrated. Otherwise normal E-Reader don't have that kind of a light. So yes, they don't glow in the dark otherwise.

Tuesday, 5 January 2016

How to achieve New Year's Resolutions.

6 Tips and tricks to accomplish your goals.

Here are some personal advises to stick to your resolutions and turn them into habits.

Write them down: Write your resolutions down as a list and be realistic. Set yourself manageable goals. But if you want to reach for the stars, start with reaching for the clouds first. We can work our way up to the stars by taking cloudy steps (pun intended).

Outline every one of them: Cut them down in smaller task. Ask yourself, how can I accomplish this? What do I need for this? Make up a plan, with prioritizing your goals.With the important task first, all other goals fall into place(usually).

Visualize! Now keep your written goals in a place, where you get to see them every day to constantly remind yourself what you want.Stay motivated. Try to make a visual board, to show yourself what you want to accomplish, what you are striving for.

Single-task': You can't change your life around all of a sudden. If you didn't go to the gym, woke up late and didn't eat healthy, all these habits won't change overnight. And especially not all at once.So, try to figure out, if one resolution can help you to archive another one. If yes, than that's great!Focus on one at a time, when you establish that specific habit in your life, go over to the next one.

Get support from friends and family. Tell your loved ones about your plans, so you are forced to fulfill them. OK no. We want support, not pressure. Ask them to remind you, if you are getting distracted. If someone in your surrounding has the same resolution, then get together!Sometimes it is easier for us to get something done, if someone else is relying on us or if we have competition.

Never give up. Keep on trying.If you've made progress in one week but then went on a break for two weeks. Don't give up. Start again, over and over again.

Stay inspired, by knowing what you want. Always have your goal in front of you!